For the fourth year in a row, manufacturing has been the number one target for cyberattacks. As the industry places greater weight on the need for digitalization, connecting networks, assets, and teams, the pressures for a connected IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology) environment grow as does the cyber risk for those more connected organizations.
To better understand how companies are managing the compound challenge of advancing digitalization programs, bridging the gap between IT/OT, and keeping their OT networks secure, we studied why some companies have made impressive progress while others are still struggling. The research included interviews with IT and OT executives representing a variety of industries and survey results from 170 U.S.-based mid-cap to large-cap manufacturing companies. Companies self-recognized as “exceptional” or “very good” when rating their IT and OT integration and collaboration for OT security are obviously better positioned to respond and recover from cybersecurity threats. But, more notably, the research found that they are also more confident in their ability to attract the cybersecurity talent they need to address increasingly sophisticated attacks and are seeing competitive advantages as they can readily seize innovations and adapt to change.
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Manufacturers' Evaluation of IT/OT Collaboration at their Companies
Source: 2025 IT/OT Collaboration Survey, Manufacturers Alliance Foundation and CDW
Key Findings:
- A commanding majority of manufacturers (71%) have started IT/OT convergence reflecting the extent to which this integration has become a digitalization imperative.
- Network segmentation is a foundational step for IT/OT convergence but remains an impediment. For many, segmentation is an iterative process and therefore still a work in progress.
- Companies that are more advanced in their IT/OT convergence journey demonstrate a clear set of behaviors and capabilities setting them apart from less advanced peers.
- Advanced companies are positioned to respond and recover from cybersecurity threats across a range of data points, including disruption of critical operations, insider threats, and unauthorized remote access.
- The impact of cybersecurity preparedness on insurability is in flux, with some expecting to see a tightening of insurance requirements in the near future.
- Advanced companies already see the competitive advantage their journey has delivered. They are primed to seize the moment as breakthrough innovations occur and thereby solidify and expand their advantage over companies that lag behind.
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